New Jersey's first outpost of California-based Sky Zone, the country's largest chain of trampoline parks, opens on Saturday in Pine Brook, with other locations expected to open in Allendale and Ocean Township by the end of the year. Rebounderz, a Florida company, plans to open a Paramus location in 2015.

Indoor trampoline parks are a giant evolutionary leap from backyard trampolines. The parks, usually located in former warehouses in industrial parks, feature basketball and dodge ball courts with floors and walls made from trampoline beds and jump rooms with floors covered with rectangular trampoline beds sized for a single jumper.

The operators of these parks are hoping not only to capture some of the lucrative kids' birthday party market, but to woo parents seeking a form of active play for their children, as well as adults eager to play trampoline basketball or take a trampoline aerobics class.

New trampoline parks typically draw waiting lines, even though customers are asked to sign waivers acknowledging that they are jumping at their own risk and despite some high-profile injuries at trampoline parks. When former Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain dislocated his ankle two years ago at the Boing! Jump Center in Tampa, Fla., sportswriters asked, "What was he thinking?"

In demand

Demand for jump time appears strong in North Jersey. At the Pine Brook Sky Zone, moms with pre-schoolers in tow were knocking on the door and asking for party reservations a week before opening day.

Fans of the trend say it's the feel-good fun activity of the future.

"Jumping on a trampoline, I would challenge you not to smile," said Aaron Bakken, head of franchise marketing and sales for Rockin' Jump, a California-based company that expects to announce North Jersey franchisees soon. "There's something about the physical sensation of that brief moment of weightlessness, that makes you giddy," Bakken said. "That's really the basic success point of trampoline parks."

Year of growth

Tracy Sarris, executive vice president of the International Association of Trampoline Parks, an organization founded two years ago to create safety standards and promote growth, said that it's difficult to keep tabs on the number of parks because so many have opened this year.

"We're getting inquiries from new or potential parks every day and more are opening every month," Sarris said. She estimates the number worldwide at 300, up from about 280 in April. That represents an increase of more than 700 percent from three years ago, when there were just 35 to 40 parks.

Helping to drive the growth, Sarris said, is that jumping burns a lot of calories.

Mike Janay, 45, of Maplewood, the entrepreneur behind the 30,000-square-foot Pine Brook Sky Zone, said he decided to become a Sky Zone franchisee after seeing how his children, then 8 and 10, loved jumping at a Sky Zone in Buffalo.

"I looked at my wife and said, 'We need something like this in New Jersey,' " said Janay, who previously owned a catering company and was marketing director for a software firm.

Investing in a trampoline park isn't a small undertaking.

The major franchise companies estimate start-up costs for a new park at $750,000 to $2 million, with an average cost of more than $1 million. But once a park is up and running, selling jump time at the average rate of $10 for 30 minutes can add up to impressive revenue.

Solid profits

Rockin' Jump, in its information for franchisees, reports annual sales at one of its California parks at more than $2 million, with a profit margin of 39 percent.

Janay, at New Jersey's first Sky Zone, located in a former warehouse, said he is expecting a more realistic profit margin to be 25 percent but said that rate would still be five times the profit margin in catering, his previous business.

He said the Sky Zone model includes higher costs for staffing and inspections because of the company's emphasis on safety.

Sky Zone also arranges for group insurance programs for its franchisees. Bakken of Rockin' Jump said insurance costs usually run about 6 percent or 7 percent of gross sales.

Safety concerns

A number of serious injuries at trampoline parks, including at least two instances of young men breaking their necks when diving headfirst off a trampoline, have spurred two states, Arizona and Michigan, to pass legislation to regulate parks, and prompted the leading franchisee companies to form a task force to develop safety standards.

Members of the International Association of Trampoline Parks, who pushed for safety standards, contend that most of the cases of serious injuries have involved independently operated parks, not those overseen by franchise companies.

At the Pine Book Sky Zone, guests are asked to review safety rules before jumping, and staff members are stationed around all of the jump zones to act as lifeguards and make sure everyone follows rules. Janay said he has 115 people on staff because of the need for adequate supervision, and he said he expects that number to increase as the location becomes busier.

Sky Zone, the fastest-growing trampoline franchise, has been featured on three reality shows recently. On the "Real Housewives of Orange County," housewife Alexis Bellino and her husband bought a Sky Zone franchise in Anaheim, Calif. Sky Zone Chief Executive Jeff Platt has appeared on "Undercover Boss." And Te'a Cooper, the top women's college basketball prospect in the Class of 2015, announced her decision to play for Tennessee at a Sky Zone party in Georgia filmed by the MTV reality show "True Life."

North Jersey entrepreneurs are jumping on the trampoline park trend

Indoor trampoline parks – an entertainment category enjoying strong growth – are springing up in North Jersey, with potential investors watching to see if this trend will take off or fall flat.

Trampoline FAQs

What is an indoor trampoline park?

Trampoline parks are typically 18,000 to 30,000 square feet, with some 10,000 square feet of individual trampoline beds connected to form a large surface that is enclosed by walls also made out of trampoline beds. The parks have basketball and dodge ball courts made from trampoline beds, as well as other jump zones.

What does it cost to jump?

Prices vary according to the venue, day of the week and time of day, but the average cost is $10 for 30 minutes of jump time.

What about insurance?

Even though every patron is asked to sign a waiver acknowledging that trampolines can be dangerous, park owners still pay hefty insurance fees, which according to experts can equal to 6 percent to 7 percent of gross revenue. Larger operators like Sky Zone arrange group insurance programs for their franchisees, and the trade group, the International Association of Trampoline Parks, hopes to create a similar program.

Why is this trend taking off?

Most trampoline entrepreneurs say they became sold on the idea when they saw how much their own kids loved jumping. They also like the promised financials. While start-up costs can be as high as $2 million, established parks have annual grosses of more than $2 million, with some chains saying that profit margins can be close to 40 percent.

What is the downside?

This could be a fad that crashes after every kid in North Jersey has attended a trampoline park birthday party and parents move on to the next thing. Also, keeping the parks clean, well staffed and safe could drive up costs and cut into profits.

New Jersey's first outpost of California-based Sky Zone, the country's largest chain of trampoline parks, opens on Saturday in Pine Brook, with other locations expected to open in Allendale and Ocean Township by the end of the year. Rebounderz, a Florida company, plans to open a Paramus location in 2015.

Indoor trampoline parks are a giant evolutionary leap from backyard trampolines. The parks, usually located in former warehouses in industrial parks, feature basketball and dodge ball courts with floors and walls made from trampoline beds and jump rooms with floors covered with rectangular trampoline beds sized for a single jumper.

The operators of these parks are hoping not only to capture some of the lucrative kids' birthday party market, but to woo parents seeking a form of active play for their children, as well as adults eager to play trampoline basketball or take a trampoline aerobics class.

New trampoline parks typically draw waiting lines, even though customers are asked to sign waivers acknowledging that they are jumping at their own risk and despite some high-profile injuries at trampoline parks. When former Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain dislocated his ankle two years ago at the Boing! Jump Center in Tampa, Fla., sportswriters asked, "What was he thinking?"

In demand

Demand for jump time appears strong in North Jersey. At the Pine Brook Sky Zone, moms with pre-schoolers in tow were knocking on the door and asking for party reservations a week before opening day.

Fans of the trend say it's the feel-good fun activity of the future.

"Jumping on a trampoline, I would challenge you not to smile," said Aaron Bakken, head of franchise marketing and sales for Rockin' Jump, a California-based company that expects to announce North Jersey franchisees soon. "There's something about the physical sensation of that brief moment of weightlessness, that makes you giddy," Bakken said. "That's really the basic success point of trampoline parks."

Year of growth

Jersey bounce

Indoor trampoline parks are growing in the U.S., with unit growth of close to 700 percent the past three years and 280 parks open or in development. Chains already in North Jersey or those with plans to open here, include:

* Sky Zone – This California-based company is the largest trampoline franchise chain, with more than 60 locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Australia. It expects to have 90 locations in operation by the end of the year. The first Sky Zone in New Jersey is opening at 60 Chapin Road in Pine Brook on Saturday. Locations in Allendale and Ocean Township are expected by the end of the year. skyzone.com

* Rebounderz – It originated in Florida and has six locations, including one in Edison. Seven sites are scheduled to open this year and in 2015, including one in Paramus. rebounderz.com

* Rockin’ Jump – The chain has four company-owned stores in California and just opened its first franchise in Trumbull, Conn. The company is in discussions to open in the New York metropolitan area and expects to have deals for North Jersey locations soon. franchise.rockinjump.com

Tracy Sarris, executive vice president of the International Association of Trampoline Parks, an organization founded two years ago to create safety standards and promote growth, said that it's difficult to keep tabs on the number of parks because so many have opened this year.

"We're getting inquiries from new or potential parks every day and more are opening every month," Sarris said. She estimates the number worldwide at 300, up from about 280 in April. That represents an increase of more than 700 percent from three years ago, when there were just 35 to 40 parks.

Helping to drive the growth, Sarris said, is that jumping burns a lot of calories.

Mike Janay, 45, of Maplewood, the entrepreneur behind the 30,000-square-foot Pine Brook Sky Zone, said he decided to become a Sky Zone franchisee after seeing how his children, then 8 and 10, loved jumping at a Sky Zone in Buffalo.

"I looked at my wife and said, 'We need something like this in New Jersey,' " said Janay, who previously owned a catering company and was marketing director for a software firm.

Investing in a trampoline park isn't a small undertaking.

The major franchise companies estimate start-up costs for a new park at $750,000 to $2 million, with an average cost of more than $1 million. But once a park is up and running, selling jump time at the average rate of $10 for 30 minutes can add up to impressive revenue.

Solid profits

Rockin' Jump, in its information for franchisees, reports annual sales at one of its California parks at more than $2 million, with a profit margin of 39 percent.

Janay, at New Jersey's first Sky Zone, located in a former warehouse, said he is expecting a more realistic profit margin to be 25 percent but said that rate would still be five times the profit margin in catering, his previous business.

He said the Sky Zone model includes higher costs for staffing and inspections because of the company's emphasis on safety.

Sky Zone also arranges for group insurance programs for its franchisees. Bakken of Rockin' Jump said insurance costs usually run about 6 percent or 7 percent of gross sales.

Safety concerns

A number of serious injuries at trampoline parks, including at least two instances of young men breaking their necks when diving headfirst off a trampoline, have spurred two states, Arizona and Michigan, to pass legislation to regulate parks, and prompted the leading franchisee companies to form a task force to develop safety standards.

Members of the International Association of Trampoline Parks, who pushed for safety standards, contend that most of the cases of serious injuries have involved independently operated parks, not those overseen by franchise companies.

At the Pine Book Sky Zone, guests are asked to review safety rules before jumping, and staff members are stationed around all of the jump zones to act as lifeguards and make sure everyone follows rules. Janay said he has 115 people on staff because of the need for adequate supervision, and he said he expects that number to increase as the location becomes busier.

Sky Zone, the fastest-growing trampoline franchise, has been featured on three reality shows recently. On the "Real Housewives of Orange County," housewife Alexis Bellino and her husband bought a Sky Zone franchise in Anaheim, Calif. Sky Zone Chief Executive Jeff Platt has appeared on "Undercover Boss." And Te'a Cooper, the top women's college basketball prospect in the Class of 2015, announced her decision to play for Tennessee at a Sky Zone party in Georgia filmed by the MTV reality show "True Life."